Know2eat

White rice

Oryza sativa

Also known as Milled rice, Polished rice

SaveCompare

Rice milled to remove the bran and germ, leaving the starchy endosperm. The USDA reference entry is for raw grain; boiling roughly triples its weight, which changes every per-100 g figure accordingly.

Blood Sugar & Metabolic HealthGut & Digestive HealthMuscle & Physical Performance

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Insufficient

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Insufficient evidence

There is no dependable evidence that white rice offers a blood-glucose advantage. Observational research points the other way, associating high habitual white-rice intake with greater type 2 diabetes risk, though confounding by overall diet is substantial.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Digestive comfort

Gut & Digestive Health
Insufficient evidence

Has been studied as a low-residue, low-FODMAP starch used when other grains are poorly tolerated. The tolerability rationale is widely accepted clinically but rests on limited trial evidence.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Exercise performance

Muscle & Physical Performance
Insufficient evidence

Has been studied as a rapidly available carbohydrate source for glycogen replacement after hard training. The underlying carbohydrate principle is well established, but trials on rice specifically are few and small.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about White rice

Ask about White rice

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories365 kcal18%
Protein7.13 g14%
Total fat0.66 g1%
Carbohydrate80 g29%
Fibre1.3 g5%
Total sugars0.12 g—
Water11.6 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.18 g1%
Monounsaturated fat0.206 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.177 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.146 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.11 mg1%
Vitamin K0.1 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.07 mg6%
Riboflavin (B2)0.049 mg4%
Niacin (B3)1.6 mg10%
Pantothenic acid (B5)1.01 mg20%
Vitamin B60.164 mg10%
Folate8 µg2%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline5.8 mg1%
Minerals
Calcium28 mg2%
Iron0.8 mg4%
Magnesium25 mg6%
Phosphorus115 mg9%
Potassium115 mg2%
Sodium5 mg0%
Zinc1.09 mg10%
Copper0.22 mg24%
Manganese1.09 mg47%
Selenium15.1 µg27%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.64 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Rice, white, long-grain, regular, raw, unenriched (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169756).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • boiledReduces inorganic arsenic

    Rinsing the grain and boiling it in a large excess of water that is then drained removes a substantial fraction of inorganic arsenic, at the cost of some water-soluble vitamins.

  • cookedIncreases resistant starch

    Cooking rice and chilling it overnight converts part of the starch to resistant starch, lowering the glucose response when it is eaten cold or reheated.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Too much

    Inorganic arsenic

    White rice carries less inorganic arsenic than brown because most of it sits in the bran, but it is still a meaningful dietary source. Rinsing before cooking and boiling in a large excess of water that is then drained lowers it further. The concern is greatest for infants, young children and people eating rice several times a day.

  • Worth knowing

    Milling removes most micronutrients

    Removing the bran and germ takes most of the fibre, magnesium and B vitamins with it. Enriched white rice has some B vitamins and iron added back; unenriched rice, common outside the US, does not.

  • Worth knowing

    Rapidly digested starch

    White rice is digested quickly and produces a high glucose response for most people, particularly when eaten alone rather than with fat, protein or vegetables. Variety matters: long-grain and basmati types generally produce a lower response than short-grain sticky rice.

  • Worth knowing

    Reheating cooked rice and Bacillus cereus

    Cooked rice left at room temperature can allow Bacillus cereus spores to germinate and produce a heat-stable toxin that reheating does not destroy. Cooling cooked rice quickly and refrigerating it is the relevant precaution.